Tragic: Jayden Parkinson was found in a disturbed grave (Image: Enterprise News and Pictures)

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A man accused of murdering his teenage ex told a prison nurse that he was now "a celebrity" and wanted to watch himself on the television news, a court has heard.

Ben Blakeley was "laughing and jovial" when he allegedly made the comment about the murder of 17-year-old Jayden Parkinson, while being held on remand at HMP Bullingdon in Oxfordshire.

Blakeley, 22, also wrote a letter confessing to killing Jayden and said he "deserved 30 years" for what he had done, his trial at Oxford Crown Court was told.

The former binman is accused of murdering Jayden a day after she told him she was pregnant with his child.

The teenager was last seen alive with Blakeley on the afternoon of December 3 last year in Didcot, Oxfordshire having met him to discuss her pregnancy.

Blakeley, who denies murder but admits manslaughter, dumped Jayden's body in the grave of his uncle at All Saints' graveyard in Didcot a week after killing her.

Cally Brinsley, a senior nurse in HMP Bullingdon's health unit, said Blakeley had repeatedly asked for a television in his cell and believed that if he gave her information about Jayden's murder he would get a TV.

She told jurors: "He wanted to see what was going on with the case and seeing himself on the television."

"He was very jovial in his behaviour. He would answer a question from me and that if he provided the correct answer he would say 'Can I have a television now please?'

"He did shout down the corridor at me 'I'm a celebrity now, miss'."

At this point Blakeley jumped up from his seat in the dock and swore and shouted: "How can you say stuff like this?"

He then asked to leave the court and the trial continued in his absence.

Ms Brinsley was asked about Blakeley's demeanour when he made the 'celebrity' comment and she replied: "Jovial... he was laughing."

She told jurors that staff were not allowed to discuss legal matters with prisoners but during a review of his health and wellbeing he told her about Jayden's death.

She said: "He did say to me 'I told them where the shovels were. I got really drunk. I didn't want it to happen. If I could take it back I would...'

"I told Ben to stop because I didn't want to hear what had happened and I was there as a nurse and I was there for his welfare.

"Ben said 'Can I have a television now?' as if he had given me some information and he wanted to have a reward. I told him that he couldn't."

Ms Brinsley said on another occasion Blakeley asked her whether police had found Jayden's body.

"He was in quite an excitable state, as if he was expecting exciting news and then asked about the television once again, which was his main priority," she told the court.

She also said that Blakeley had been issued with a Bible while on remand and inside the back cover, prison officers later discovered, was written: "RIP baby. I will miss you always. I am sorry xxx. I am sorry, sorry."

There was also a heart drawn on the page with the letters "J" and "B" inside, the jury was told, and inside the bible were two newspaper cuttings, with one headlined: "Jayden mother's nightmare."

The other article was about the police searching for Jayden's body and included photographs of a tent erected over a grave at All Saints' graveyard.

Prison governor Carol Gaskin told the court she had been handed a letter from Blakeley on December 19 last year.

She said: "He said 'I want to give you this and it needs to go to the police'. I asked what that was and Ben replied: 'That's my confession'.

"Ben said he had done everything he could to try and save her..."

In another statement, prison officer Carly Roffey said she was on duty on December 20 when: "Ben said he deserved to get 30 years for what he had done but that was not worth her life.

"He said he had now come to terms with what he had done and would accept any punishment he got. He also told me that he had written a confession."

Blakeley, of Christchurch Road, Reading, Berkshire, denies murdering Jayden but admits her manslaughter and attempting to pervert the course of justice over the disposal of her body.

The prosecution has refused to accept his manslaughter plea and he has gone on trial alongside a 17-year-old boy, who cannot be identified for legal reasons.

The youth has also pleaded guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice but denies a charge of preventing a lawful burial because he says he did not know he was helping bury Jayden's body.